Jumpingjoe628
Full Access Member
I finally got around to installing these kits which I got from JMB. My truck is an 05 RC that had been lowered already from what appears to be at least a 2/3 kit judging by the rear blocks under the axle. The front I haven’t the slightest on how they did it considering the sticker tag was still attached to the spring and the part # came back a stock unit. Either way both sway bars were not even close to parallel to the ground.
So getting to the good stuff, I set the truck up in the driveway and got my ground pads out so I could get under it and not be crawling around on a rough surface. Jacked up the frame by the hitch area so it’d lift both sides at the same time and putt a wheel chock out front. Started with removing the old kicker shock that was leaking oil badly and was covered in black sludge. Granted, there’s no other oil anywhere on the underside of this vehicle, very clean. So when going to install the bolts back through I noticed that they wouldn’t pass through the eyelet on the kicker shock (either side) and there was no new bolts that came with the kit. The original bolts have a couple flat sides to the pm on the collared section so as to lock in place when you go to tighten the nut (very convenient imo). So being there was no mention of new bolts in the instructions I just went ahead and turned down the originals on my lathe till they fit correctly while still maintaining the flat ends near the head of the bolt.
So now I move onto the slapper bar bump stops and pull them out. The kit comes with new hardware for this and although the bolt has a hex end, once you get it through the hole you can angle it a little till you get the head to lock down inside the bump stop and then tighten it the rest of the way. As for the leaf clamps it also came with some nice hardware but according to the instructions there was supposed to be a washer for both sides (head and nut side) but only came with enough for the nut side. Had to call in to verify I wasn’t missing washers in my kit and I believe that the instructions just haven’t been updated yet. Also missing the larger leaf roller that was supposed to come with the kit but was promised it’d be shipped right out to me.
Now getting to the end links, the rears upper nut / bolt combo has a nice nut extension coming off of it that catches the frame when unthreading the head of the bolt from the outside. I didn’t even have the truck lifted in the air and I could get these out with an impact. While installing the new link ends there seems to be an unnecessary center collar that covers the bolts and at least with my truck to have them adjusted so the sway bar lands flat with the ground the links needed to be adjusted longer than the spiffy looking collar. So off it came since I didn’t want it rattling around while hitting bumps.
Reinstalling the upper end of the link requires you to add the supplied spacers to take up the gap in he frame mount. Not sure why the head of the link couldn’t just have been wider or at least have the correct width spacers with the kit. I had to search my own stock pile and then drill out a set to match the hole diameter. Ok problem solved. Greased everything up with the supplied poly grease and everything looks lined up correctly. Front went pretty good too but the crimped nuts for the lower mount into the control arm was way too tight to get installed properly. Since it’s on a ball joint for flexibility after it jams up it starts spinning and there’s not even a flat area on the upper end to grab with a wrench. Had to go to Lowe’s and use regular grade 8 nuts with washers and red locktite. The original rubber frame mounts were not slit in the middle so have to cut them off with a sharp knife.
After an entire day of fiddling with all this I went out for a test drive. Things definitely tightened up back there and with handling. I’ll def be interested in getting the rest of energy suspensions kit. Had it on my 78 vette when I did a restomod on it. Next step will be to get the correct bump stops for the frame now. Fronts are almost touching and the rears are starting to disintegrate.
That is all for now but I may go out and take some pictures too.
So getting to the good stuff, I set the truck up in the driveway and got my ground pads out so I could get under it and not be crawling around on a rough surface. Jacked up the frame by the hitch area so it’d lift both sides at the same time and putt a wheel chock out front. Started with removing the old kicker shock that was leaking oil badly and was covered in black sludge. Granted, there’s no other oil anywhere on the underside of this vehicle, very clean. So when going to install the bolts back through I noticed that they wouldn’t pass through the eyelet on the kicker shock (either side) and there was no new bolts that came with the kit. The original bolts have a couple flat sides to the pm on the collared section so as to lock in place when you go to tighten the nut (very convenient imo). So being there was no mention of new bolts in the instructions I just went ahead and turned down the originals on my lathe till they fit correctly while still maintaining the flat ends near the head of the bolt.
So now I move onto the slapper bar bump stops and pull them out. The kit comes with new hardware for this and although the bolt has a hex end, once you get it through the hole you can angle it a little till you get the head to lock down inside the bump stop and then tighten it the rest of the way. As for the leaf clamps it also came with some nice hardware but according to the instructions there was supposed to be a washer for both sides (head and nut side) but only came with enough for the nut side. Had to call in to verify I wasn’t missing washers in my kit and I believe that the instructions just haven’t been updated yet. Also missing the larger leaf roller that was supposed to come with the kit but was promised it’d be shipped right out to me.
Now getting to the end links, the rears upper nut / bolt combo has a nice nut extension coming off of it that catches the frame when unthreading the head of the bolt from the outside. I didn’t even have the truck lifted in the air and I could get these out with an impact. While installing the new link ends there seems to be an unnecessary center collar that covers the bolts and at least with my truck to have them adjusted so the sway bar lands flat with the ground the links needed to be adjusted longer than the spiffy looking collar. So off it came since I didn’t want it rattling around while hitting bumps.
Reinstalling the upper end of the link requires you to add the supplied spacers to take up the gap in he frame mount. Not sure why the head of the link couldn’t just have been wider or at least have the correct width spacers with the kit. I had to search my own stock pile and then drill out a set to match the hole diameter. Ok problem solved. Greased everything up with the supplied poly grease and everything looks lined up correctly. Front went pretty good too but the crimped nuts for the lower mount into the control arm was way too tight to get installed properly. Since it’s on a ball joint for flexibility after it jams up it starts spinning and there’s not even a flat area on the upper end to grab with a wrench. Had to go to Lowe’s and use regular grade 8 nuts with washers and red locktite. The original rubber frame mounts were not slit in the middle so have to cut them off with a sharp knife.
After an entire day of fiddling with all this I went out for a test drive. Things definitely tightened up back there and with handling. I’ll def be interested in getting the rest of energy suspensions kit. Had it on my 78 vette when I did a restomod on it. Next step will be to get the correct bump stops for the frame now. Fronts are almost touching and the rears are starting to disintegrate.
That is all for now but I may go out and take some pictures too.
